I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller, I wish I had an MB&F coz that’s so much cooler… I am neither particularly tall, nor do I excel at ball sports. And I certainly can’t afford to buy an MB&F. Or can I?

In the heady days of Covid, possibly even so far back when it was still called Corona Virus, Max Busser announced that he was creating a thank-you watch for his key suppliers and his ‘tribe’ – those that have purchased one or more of the amazing timepieces created by the MB&F team. This new watch, called an MB&F M.A.D.1 Red, was to me an amazing piece of sculpture that I fell in love with. Not being in either of the requisite camps I knew I would have to look from afar. I emailed Mr B though and told him that I thought it was a beautiful idea and a beautiful creation, and if he ever did decide to release it to the general public I’d love to go on the list.

Fast forward a year or two, and Max announced they are going to release it, with the allocations done purely by lottery. I knew I had to enter although the chances of my name being pulled from the hat were very slim. But wait, there was small print: if you had written to them in the previously asking about availability you would automatically be allocated one of Willy Wonka’s Golden Tickets. I checked my email, and sure enough there was a Golden Ticket there. If I wanted one, it was mine! I’ve never filled out an order form so quickly.

Some time later (after paying the annoying customs fees) it was in my hands, still boxed and wrapped, and if I’m honest, I thought about flipping it for the hefty profits available. I could have used the cash, but I just couldn’t do it. Although this is not actually an MB&F, it’s likely to be the closest I ever get to owning one.

The MB&F M.A.D.1 Red is a lovely thing. The bright red and steel finishing is beautiful, and the star of the show of course is the madly spinning rotor where the dial would normally be, with the time being read on the side of the watch between the bottom lugs, but we all know that by now. It’s a big lump, the 19mm height making the 42mm diameter feel even bigger. It’s sure to end up being bashed on door frames. I’m not a huge fan of the strap if I’m honest, so I will change it out when I find something suitable for the 20mm lug width.

The actual movement is a pretty run of the mill Miyota, which I’m sure is accurate enough but the way the time is displayed makes accuracy a moot point anyway. It’s easy to glance at the time without people knowing you’re looking at it too; a boon when those zoom meetings are dragging on. The case is a mixture of steel and glass which would have been a great display for a nicer or more decorated movement. I say that though in the knowledge that if that had been the case I wouldn’t have been able to afford one.

The MB&F M.A.D.1 Red is certainly is a talking point. I wore it on a work trip to London and having some time to kill I visited a posh multi-brand dealership. Normally, with one of my vintage Seiko’s on my wrist, I’d feel a bit self-conscious, but with this on I had a great time showing the many staff in there my watch as most of them hadn’t seen one in person. Even the MB&F sales manager enjoyed it, but not enough to do a straight swap for the HM9 he let me try on.

Overall, it’s a cool watch and a great talking point wrapped around a bog-standard movement. All in all, a winning package, but only if you like your watches to be a bit different – check my other reviews and you’ll see I like a bit of variety!